Dining Alone ... and feline ailments

Having a meal out when you are single ...especially a widow, as once you had a rock to sit by and aimlessly chat to ... can be a difficult experience. Waiters quickly pounce ... in order to get you served and away as soon as possible ...after all you are using up a space that could seat two and  thus produce twice the cash.
 Of course if you are under a certain age and 'eye candy' to those serving, you might not be rushed .... if you take the waiters fancy. 
I am naturally a fast eater... main and a dessert could be completed in less than 30 mins so something had to be done. I began to create a plan of action to enable me to enjoy at least an hour in a restaurant and I thought I would share it with you.

 Firstly ...read the menu slowly ...at least twice ...but do not catch the waiters eye until you are really ready. I find a rummage in my handbag a useful delay....a little note book and pen might be useful later... a book tends to suggest you are often alone...place it in full view, before you order
.When appraoched to make your order, be ready to ask questions ....sensible informed ones.
While waiting for your meal to be served take in the surroundings and those around you ... observations fill in time without you looking like a spare part. ....as long as you dont stare too hard or look as though you are listening in on some ones conversation... I love being secretly nosey though.
Learn to eat slowly if you are a fast eater normally ....you can actually put your knife and fork down during the course!!. Always have a drink there, even if its water ...gives a reason to slow the intake of food, as one sips at the liquid on and off.
When the meal is over it is useful to partake in a coffee to delay the bill paying and susequent departure.  This however may not be required so this is when the note book comes into play. If you enjoy writing, jot down any observations that might be useful in the future ...if not, jot down the meal you had and your favourite bits. I find that while you are writing, waiters steer clear ....after all you could be a critic and they really wouldn't want to rush you.!


Must get back to posting more often ...some of our felines have not been well which has delayed things. Did you know cats get IBS? well I didn't ....or  that they rush into dangerously tiny spaces when having a feline epileptic seizure ...to escape the fit.? ....more about this on a later post

Take Care xx

A Nana overload

Another promise fulfilled ....photo over load of the grandsons .....and a few first of Holly and her feline friends. Robbie adores her ...he is so good with animals

 Ben now has to wear glasses and Jake is a little jealous ....I think he looks so intelligent in them.

  Like Father Like Son ...Steve .... still is a boy at heart

Ellie wanting to join in too

I could have bored you with more but I though I would be kind....It was a perfect Nana day....

....although Olly has given me a new name ...Baba B

Take Care xx

Cauliflower and Stilton Soup

As promised  on the previous post ...here is the recipe... perfect when you have a small or half a large head of cauliflower waiting to be used up ...and a few ounces of Stilton hanging about after Xmas.

Ingredients

1 medium sized Leek ...finely chopped ....I do not use the darker green part
(Shallot or onion can be used instead)
1oz butter
A small head of fresh cauliflower ....cut into small pieces
Up to a litre of stock ....I used only 2 stock cubes ....(1veg and 1chicken.)
3oz Stilton
150ml milk.
Black pepper and salt to taste

Method
Soften the leek in the butter with the black pepper and a pinch of salt ....do not brown.
Add the cauliflower and 3/4 of the stock.
Simmer gently, until the cauliflower is soft and then remove from the heat.
Stand for a minute.
Add the milk and then crumble in the cheese ...use a little more Stilton if you want to.
Either decant the mixture into a liquidizer to puree it all, or use a stick blender in the saucepan.
When it is a smooth creamy consistency add the extra stock if consistency is a little thick for you and check for seasoning, as you might need a little more salt.
Return to the heat and gently bring the soup back to just below boiling.
Enjoy with crusty fresh bread or a toasted bagel
If using it for a starter, garnish with tiny croutons and some crumbled Stilton.

Easy Croutons
Butter both sides of a couple of slices of bread and with a sharp knife, cut off the crusts.
Then cut each slice into tiny cubes and scatter onto a baking sheet.
Pop into a hot oven but watch them ...as soon as they are light golden in colour, shake them and return for a short while... until they are a true golden colour.
Remove from the oven ...toss onto kitchen towel ...and allow to cool.

Enjoy 
Take Care xx

Take 5 little boys .... and a laptop

I can not believe that it is already two weeks into the new year and I wish you all a belated ....

 HAPPY 2013 

... mine was a quiet one but then a few days later Emma and Steve and  the three boys came for a visit which was wonderful. (My next post will have more photos ...trust me.)
... but this is a shot of little Olly I really could not wait to post ...it seemed apt to use this (note his t-shirt)  as we had a little disaster.

 While clearing our large coffee table ... in order that the five grandsons could sit and eat their lunch together ... someone put the laptop on the floor with a mouse propping it open, as some charging or something, was going on.
Some how one of the five stood down on to it and smashed the screen. No-one could be blamed ...accidents happen but for Jay and I it was like loosing a limb ...we felt lost ... so  I decided to gather the pennies together and get a new one  ...after all it was old-ish in IT terms....and now a friend is looking into replacing the others screen ...cheaply, if we can wait ....of course we can ....it will mean no more fighting over computer time....I just need to get used to using this one.

At the moment we are eating our way through left over bits and pieces ...I always buy too much ...and I really thought I had cut back this time. Cheese is where I always get carried away ...I love the normal ones like Brie in all its variations and Camembert ...and Cheddar...plain and  with things added ...and Stilton ... and then the different ones too ....how about date and orange? ... and the European ones....well I managed to stop at 25 this year.
I love using the left overs ....the little bits grate up together  and make an amazing topping for Macaroni Cheese...tiny cubes of mixed cheeses, tossed into a green salad and cherry tomatoes, then dressed with balsamic makes a yummy lunch with a toasted bagel  and I shall post the recipe for my stilton and cauliflower soup later ....it only needs 3oz and is lighter than most.

I am having a crafting crisis at the moment ...do I really want to? ...and if so ... what? ....I so hope I resolve this and get my head in the right place ...I feel guilty for not doing anything as I have enough bits to play with, for at least the next ten years.

I will be back in a couple of days
Take Care xx

A Cat in A Hat

Hope you all had a great time over Xmas ..we were well enough to enjoy things but I have to say none of us ate as much as normal and there are lots of left overs .... and unopened cheeses. We had Bubble and Squeek to night ....yum ..aah.childhood memories. All  in all, we had a relaxed time and really enjoyed the food we had. Our poultry was chicken ...done the 'Nigella Lawson' way... basted in butter and maple syrup ....omg ...it is so suculant and tasty and is Vicki's speciallity.

I have totally lost track of the days ...they have sort of merged together so I was shocked to see that it was Thursday and I had missed yet another WOYWW ...in the New YearI hope to get back on track.
Here is Rusty wishing you seasons greetings.

 ...and a little glimpse into our Christmas

 and for those who wondered about Holly ...here she is ....

 She is growing fast and I think she will be taking after her grandfather who apparently is not at all the size of a Pygmy!!! The happier she is the softer her quills are ....she is a 'chocolate snowflake' as far as we can tell.

Take Care xx

Christmas is for Cats

It is Friday 21rst and we have fallen foul to a bug this week …I am feeling just under par with no energy …Vicki has barely left the loo but is now at last feeling a bit better but Jay has been being sick for about 24hours and Kris has now joined her. …Ok Robbie … are you just waiting for Xmas Day !!!!
We are so behind and have already had to cancel so many pre Xmas treats including a much longed for visit  from Steve and Emma, Ben Jake and Olly. I am so gutted but we cant take the risk of them catching anything from us . Last year their Christmas was ruined with a bug and Ben has still not gained all the weight he lost from his last tummy bug....they always hit him hard. I so hope they can get over to us soon after Christmas …it will be like a second Xmas as we were going to exchange presents tomorrow.

I am sorry I have been off the ball creatively this year but I hope to be back on track soon.
I  just want Christmas to go smoothly with no one being ill …and I will feel truly blessed. 
My other wishes are that it stops raining and the boiler keeps hanging on to life.

I wish all my Blogland friends
A very Happy Christmas and Wonderful New Year ….
…..would say 'prosperous' but that would be a miracle lol …

I also leave you with this shot of Barnaby ….good thing I heard a rustle before the bag was tied off.

Have a happy festive season …. whether you are chilling on your own or coping with a huge family gathering ….or anything in between.

Take Care xx

OMG ...Xmas is nearly here ....am I ready ....NO

Sorry I have not been around  for a while ...not been in the zone at all ...cant believe it is so long ...not that I have been doing much. All I seem to do is write lists ...that dont get completed ...or get lost .. so I have to start again ...slightly non productive.
 Yesterday I managed to freeze away some of my special sausage rolls for Xmas munching ...lots of filling with thin short pastry encasing them...not forgetting a hint of apple ...yummy if I say so myself.

 Had to show you these photos ...this one is Jake Ben and Olly meeting Santa for the first time

 and Kris and Robbie ...they still believe ...although Kris is begining to ask questions!!!!

Lastly a blast from the past for me... a group of us at work in 1987 ish the manager Liz (grey suit and big grin) sent it through facebook. Those were such happy days. We worked in the 3rd biggest Department Store in the UK.
There were nearly 2000 staff in total counting office and the others behind the scenes ....and Christmas was the best .... for customers and staff alike. The grotto back then was magical  ...even parents fell under the spell ...I wish I had photos ...every year was different.
Sadly the company  had problems during the last decade and gradually the 40 odd stores closed ...finally the last...the flag ship and the largest (where I worked for 18 years) shut its doors this year ....150 years after they first opened. In its hayday it was the  best ever retail establishment ....it was what retailing was all about ...the customer ... but when they forgot that, the rot set in.
Good Bye Allders ...and especially Allders of Croydon.

We have increased our animal family ....by one little Pigmy Hedgehog ...who loves cats. She is called  Holly and I will tell you more and show pictures on a future post ....and yes I can hear you all mumbling 'Is she mad' ...but it was nothing to do with me ....she is Vicki's.

Take care xx